Engineering gyrification-inspired silica nanocapsules through vapor condensation-induced hydrolysis kinetics enabling ultra-efficient Pb2+ removal

Silica nanocapsules hold significant importance in agriculture, medicine and machinery owing to their high specific surface area, tunable surface properties and superior loading capacity. However, the industrial-scale production of silica nanocapsules with controllable morphology is still constrained by the challenges of precise morphology control and straightforward functional modification. To bridge this gap, we propose a novel continuous and scalable approach that integrates vapor condensation nanoemulsification with hydrolysis and condensation kinetics, enabling the controllable synthesis of functional silica nanostructures in one step. Precise control over the sample morphology (including solid spheres, nanocapsules and hollow hemispheres) and architecture (shell thickness) were achieved by tuning the concentration of silane coupling agents, condensation time and Span 80 dosage. Notably, the gyrification-inspired silica nanocapsules with wrinkled surface exhibited excellent lead removal performance (removal efficiency of 99.7%), combining high adsorption capacity (567.0 mg g −1 ) with rapid kinetics (20 min). This work not only provides a scalable platform for the industrial fabrication of morphology-controllable silica but also offers fundamental insights into silica growth mechanisms, thus paving the way for the design of silica functional materials in environmental and industrial applications.